College Planning and Entrance Exams

In Colorado all high school juniors take the SAT exam free of charge. See the information below, along with college resources and links to local universities.

Colorado high school juniors take the SAT exam, free of charge

The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) adopted the SAT as the 11th grade college entrance exam in 2017, replacing the ACT that had been in place since 2001.The free SAT exam is usually given to juniors in April. Most colleges will accept both the SAT or ACT exam. Students may pay to take the ACT test, if they prefer.

A law passed in 2015 requires the state to reevaluate its testing contract every five years and consider other vendors. A CDE committee awarded the contract to College Board, because the SAT aligns better to the Colorado academic standards.

Front Range Community College, Colorado State University and University of Northern Colorado have joined with PSD and early childhood providers to align Colorado's education systems from pre-school through college. Learn more about them in the links below.